Napster UK has all the major labels in its bag, along with many of the UK's leading independent labels, courtesy of its tie-in with indie trade body the Association of Independent Music (AIM).

Napster's UK site went online on 20 May, followed a week later by its Canadian service. The company won't say specifically how successful it's been at signing up British music fans, either for one-off downloads or for its £9.95 ($18.32) subscription package. However, UK communications director Adam Howorth told The Register that the company was "very pleased" with the figures to date.

Napster faces two key challenges this month: the launch of Sony's Connect service and - more importantly - the arrival of Apple's iTunes Music Store, which is believed to debut in just over a week's time, on 15 June. ®